JPEG is the international standard for still image compression. JPEG stands for the Joint Photographic Experts Group--the group which developed the international standard. A complete description of the JPEG standard is given in W. B. Pennebaker, J. L. Mitchell, JPEG Still Image Data Compression Standard (Van Norstrand Reinhold, N.Y. 1993).
JPEG images are very sensitive to transmission errors. This sensitivity requires transmission over an almost error-free channel. To maintain an error-free channel involves advanced error correction coding techniques and/or retransmission of those portions of a JPEG image which are received in error.
Both protocols result in decreased channel throughput. For the error correcting protocols, bandwidth that could otherwise be used for transmitting the JPEG image is allocated for transmitting the redundancy bits of an error correction code. In the case of retransmission, the time that could otherwise be used to transmit another JPEG image, or at least more of the same JPEG image as a function of time, is allocated to retransmitting the erroneous portions of the JPEG image.
There is a need for a transmission method and system that can more efficiently use the scarce resources of a communication channel to transmit JPEG images.